Founded in August 1862 by Arthur de La Guéronnière, the newspaper originally followed an editorial line that reconciled loyalty to Napoleon III with the reaffirmation of the temporal power of the Pope.

Its financial administration was entrusted to M. D. Pollonnais, General Council of the Alpes-Maritimes, while Count Léo de Saint-Poney, prefect of the department of Haute-Loire, held the honorary position of chief editor.

In 1863 commentators thought that La France would be at great pains to pretend that it had all the secrets of government policy, and that its most dangerous news was no more than indiscretions".

The paper was directed until 1881 by Charles Lalou, a major financial adventurer, director of mines at Bruay, a boulangiste, and a deputy for the Nord Department from 1889 to 1893.

Sculpted by Ernest-Eugène Hiolle and Louis Lefèvre, two Atlanteans wearing lion skins and two caryatids symbolizing journalism and typography, to the left and right of the entrance arcade, supported the sign of newspaper underneath the first floor balcony.